Korean Air passengers are in for an upgrade. The company announced its new “Prestige Suites” product this week and, quite frankly, it looks pretty nice. The seat is based on the “Apex” product from B/E Aerospace and features direct aisle access, a rectangular bed and even a small ottoman for a guest to join you at your seat in flight. And, while the official announcement came only this week, it seems that at least three A330s have been flying with the new product since December.
The layout of the Prestige Suites Korean Air business class seats is slightly staggered which is what allows for the aisle access while maintaining seating density and not placing the seats at an angle relative to the fuselage. It is also the same base product which JAL recently deployed for its business class cabin. The new seats will first fly on the A330-300s serving Singapore, Hanoi and Guangzhou (and apparently Brisbane, though that’s not in the press release). Another 38 new delivery aircraft – six A330-300s, twelve B777-300ERs, ten B747-8is and ten B787-9s – will also be delivered equipped with the new seats according to a company statement.
Also, the company is calling the same seat a “First Class Seat” in some cases. That may end up confusing some customers, I suppose, but it should be nice for those who get to fly in the new seat.
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I’m unfamiliar with Korean, so forgive me for this, but… this new seat is first or business? I hope not first.
A bit of both, actually. It will be business on the bigger planes and, based on what I’ve seen online, first for some of the regional aircraft. It is not clear what business will be on those planes.
I actually think it looks pretty nice for a premium cabin seat.
Thanks for the reply. I’d be thrilled getting that as a first class seat on a smaller plane/shorter flight. I feel like seeing that called a “first class suite” aboard an A380 on a long-haul overseas flight would be kind of a letdown, though.
DO you know if all the ICN-Hanoi flights have this new deployment already
The A330 on the HAN route should generally have the new seat; there are 3 already flying and that’s one of the routes it is focused on. The morning flight on the 737s will not have it as I understand things.
Do you know if there are any plans to put it in the A380? I didn’t see that in the post (or didn’t notice it at least). Thanks Seth.
The A380 is not mentioned for new deliveries and as I understand it there are no plans to retrofit the existing fleet.